Tobacco-drier



R. W. COFFEE.

ToBAooo DRIER.

(No Model.)

No. 452,902. Patented May 26, 1891.

FIGA'- close the upper end of one of the passages S NTTED STATES PATENT Tirion.

ROBERT IV. COFFEE, OF BEDFORD CITY, VIRGINIA.

TOBACCO-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,902, dated May 2 6, 1891.

Application filed March 18, 1890.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern/.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT IV. COFFEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bedford City, in the county of Bedford and State of Virginia, have invented a new. and useful Tobacco-Drier, of which the following' is a specification. t

This invention has relation to that class of driers intended for drying and eurin g tobacco; and among the objects in view are to provide a drier of the above class so constructed as to evenly distribute to all port-ions of the apparatus the hot and cold air discharged into the same, and to provide means for thoroughly dampening the tobacco by t-he use of steam,which steam has its temperature properly regulated, whereby the effect of the same upon the leaf does not prevent said leaf from a thorough absorption of the moisture discharged into the chamber.

With .the above general objects in view the invention consists in certain features of construction hereinafter specified, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, F-igure l is a perspective of a drier constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical view. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical central view. Fig. at is a detail in side elevation and partial section of the atomizer.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

l represents the outer drier-case, which is supported in this instance above the floor 2 by supports 3, so as to leave a space 4 thereunder. The drier-case is provided with the usual door 5,through which the tobacco to be dried may be introduced and removed.

Near the opposite sides of the casing there are located vertical partitions 0, which are connected at their upper ends by a roof 7, extended beyond one of the partitions, so as to formed at outer sides of the partitions. The partitions G are in this instance formed by a series of horizontal parallel slats 9, the ends of which aresecured to verticalstrips l0,arran ged at the ends of the case and also intermediate the same. The upper end of the case is provided with an uptake ll, in which there is otherwise.

mounted an ordinaryT eut-off or damper i9,

Serial No. 344,392. (No model.)

operated by a handle i3, projecting from the uptake.

Extending longitudinally under one side of the drieris a box or air-chamber Maand conimunicating` with the same is a pair of blowers l5 and 1G, which blowers are operated by belts 17, leading from any suitable motor or The blower l5 is in this instance connected with any hot air supply, (not shown,) and the blower 17 either with the outer atmosphere or an artificial cold-air supply, (not shown 5)' or, if desired, the location of the blowers may be reversed. Each of the blowers is provided with a cut-off l8,whereby its supply maybe either regulated or entirely cutoff. The box or passage le communicates with that chamber or passage S of the drier located at the saine side thereof through a longitudinal slot i9, formed in the iioor of the passage.

The partitions 6, as before stated, are each formed of a series of transverse slats 9, there being in this instance nine slats to each partition, and said slats are arranged a short distance apart, thus forming intermediate openings 20, those in one partition being opposite those in the other and said openings extending throughout the length of the drier. The lower edges of each of the slats comprising that partition forming the inner wall of that side space 8 with which the airpassage let communicates is provided with laterally-disposed and slightly inclined and curved deecting-separators 2l, which detlectors project into the space 8. Counting the top or roof 7 as a deiiector, for the reason that it covers the space 8, it will be seen that in the present instance there are nine delectors, and the width of the detlectors decrease as they near the bottom of the space. The upper detlector 2l will be in the present instance eight-ninths of the width of the space 8, the next deflector seven-ninths, and the next sixninths, and so on down until we reach the last deflector of the series, which will be but one-ninth, so that the outer edge of each detlector will be one-ninth of the width of the space widerthan is the deiiector below. In

this manner it will be seen that hot or cold air forced into the chamber 14 will pass through the openings 19 into the space 8, and that each defleetor will deflect only its rightful proportion into the openings 20, over which it is located.

Located under the bottom of the drier and extending throughout its length is a tank 22, T-shaped in cross-section, and with the same communicates a supply-pipe 23, connected with any suitable water-supplying source. At intervals short vertical pipes 24,- project into the tank, the upper ends of the pipes projecting through openings 25, formed in the bottom of the drier, and above said openings the pipes are provided with atomizers 26, a detailed description of which will be hereinafter given. By this arrangement it will be apparent that a series of atomizers will be arranged for the bottom of the drier, and said series is covered by a hollow cap 27, extending from end to end of the casing, and the same is provided with a series of minute perforations 2S.

29 represents a steam-supply pipe leading from a boiler, and said pipe is tapped at points opposite the water-supply pipes 24, and connected to the atomizing chambers thereof by short pipes 30. The supply of steam is regulated by a cnt-off 3l.

The bottom of the casing intermediate the atomizers is provided with two or a series of openings, from which depend drain-pipes 32, which depend into the tank 22. The tank 22 is also provided with a cock 33 for drawing off the water from said tank. The atomizers in this instance consist of an atomiZing-cylinder 34, terminating at its lower end in a circular boss 35 and interiorly threaded and mounted on the upper end of the pipe 24. The cylinder is also exteriorly threaded, as at 3G,and is encircled by a globular steam-chamber 37, the lower end of which has an opening 38, interiorly threaded to receive the threads 36 of the cylinder. Diametrically opposite the opening 3S of the chamber said chamber is provided with a reduced conical opening 39, through which extends the upper end of the atomizing-cylinder, which cylinder has its extremity coneshaped to agree with the contour of the opening 39, as shown at 40, and provided with an annular series of discharge-orifices 4l.

Between the openings 39 and 38 the chamber 37 is provided with an open neck 42, into which is threaded the coupling 43,which connects the pipe 8O with the steam-supply pipe 29, whereby it will be apparent that steam entering the chamber 37 will be forced from the saine through the opening 39 in an annular jet, the disposition of which is toward the apex of the cone-shaped extremity of the atomizing-cylinder. In this manner a vacuum is produced by the several atomizers in the water-tank 22, and when that has been accomplished Water from the tank is drawn through the several pipes 24C and vaporized and with the steam discharged through the perforations in the cap or box 27. In this manner it will be apparent that the steam becomes thoroughly impregnated and softcned by the water and its density greatly increased. Ilurtliermore, it will be observed that it will to a great extent be robbed of its caloric properties, whereby it is better adapted' for the purpose in view, as I will now proceed to describe.

It is well known among those. conversant with the drying of tobacco that when subjected to heat the lninute cel-ls with which the leaves are provided become contracted, so as to close the openings communicating therewith. When these openings are closed, it is of course apparent that the leaf is not in a prime condition for the absorption of the moisture necessary to properly order the same. If, therefore, steam were admitted direct from the boiler into the drier a great proportion thereof would be lost, in that the leaves would refuse to absorb the moisture thus introduced and the steam would pass out through the uptake. By my invention, however, of subjecting the steam to the cooling effects of the water the temperature of the steam is sufficiently reduced to avoid the objections above mentioned, therebyleffecting a saving in the quantity of steam necessary, andin addition rendering the steam used more dense and effective.

The operation of drying is as follows: The leaves havin g been suspended in rows or tiers opposite each of the openings 20, the valve 18, leading from the hot-air supply, is rst opened and a thorough drying of the leaves takes place. When the drying has been accomplished, the valve controlling the passage IOO of heat is closed and the valve controlling the passage of cold air opened, and volumes of cold air are forced through the drier in a manner described and as caused by the graduated deliectors 2l. After a thorough cooling has-taken place the cold air is shut off and the steam-valve 3l opened and water admitted into the tank 22, at which time the operation of the atomizers heretofore described takes place, and the softened and dense volumes of steam are injected through the perforations of the cap or box 27 into the drying-chamber. If the steam should become too warm and not be sufficiently cooled by the admixture of water, as heretofore described, the cold-air pipe may be opened and the drier thoroughly blown out or cooled by the admission of the cold air. Any water not thoroughly vaporized which will pass from the atomizers is collected by the cap 27 and prevented from escape into the drier, and passes back to the drip-tubes 32 into the tank 22. By the cock S3 the tank 22 maybe drained of the water contained therein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. The combination, with the outer case of a drier, of opposite perforated partitions arranged near each of the side walls of the drier and combining with the same to form intermediate spaces, an air-chamber'located under and having perforations in its roof com- IIO IIS

municating with but one of said spaces, and hot and cold air pipes provided with a valve communicating with said chamber, substantially as speciiied.

2. In a drier, the combination, with the outer casing, of opposite partitions forming in connection with sides of the casing intermediate spaces, an air-passage arranged under the perforated bottom of one of the spaces, a pair of rotary blowers, pipes leading therefrom to the passage, and means for operating the blowers, valves mounted in the blowerpipes, and hot and cold air pipes leading to the blowers, substantially as specified.

The combination, with the casing of a drier, of a water-tank located under the same, atomizers projecting up through the floor of the drier and communicating at their lower ends with the tank, the iioor being perforated above the tank to form drip-passages, and a steam-supply pipe arranged adjacent to the tank opposite the atomizers and connected with the pipes of the atomizers, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with a drier provided with a bottom, a water-tank arrangedthereunder and having a water-supply and a perforated cap arranged above the water-tank, and drip-tubes leading from the cap to the tank, of a series of water-pipes depending through the bottom of the casing and from the cap into the tank, atomizers mounted over the upper ends of the pipes, and steam-pipes connected with the atomizers and provided with cut-o'its, substantially as specified.

5. In a drier, the combination, with the outer case, the opposite longitudinally-slotted partitions combining to form an intermediate drying-chamber and combining with the sides of the casing to form opposite vertical side air-spaces, ci a horizontal partition interposed between the roof of the casing and the upper ends of the partitions closing the np per end of the drying-chamber and one of the vertical air-spaces, an uptake located in the roof of the casing and communicating with the space between the roof and horizontal partition, a series of graduated delectors located above the slots in and secured to that partition forming the inner wall of that vertical airspace closed by the horizontal partition, a chamber extending under and communicating with the said closed vertical air-space, and hot and cold air pipes leading to the chamber, substantially as specified.

G. The combination, with the outer casing of a drier, opposite partitions located near thc opposite sides of the casing and combining therewith to form opposite air-spaces, said partitions being provided with a series of longitudinal slots, and curved graduated deiiectors secured to and extending from the partitions above the slots and into the spaces, of an air-chamber loca-ted under one of the said spaces and communicating therewith, hot and Acold air pip'es leading to the said chamber, atomizers extending into the drier, and Water and steam supply pipes leading to said atomizers, substantially as speciiedl.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiiXed my signature 1n presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT IV. COFFEE.

Witnesses:

J. I-I. SIcGERs, R. W. DAYTON. 

